Blackhawks Blasted 5-1 By Sabres, Disastrous Homestand Continues
The Chicago Blackhawks dropped a third consecutive game during their season-ending four-game homestand, losing 5-1 to the Buffalo Sabres at the United Center on Monday. The Blackhawks have now been outscored 17-6 on home ice over the last three games. Against a Sabres squad looking to clinch the Atlantic Division with a win, the Blackhawks were simply unable to match their opponent’s intensity throughout the course of the game.
They were also the far sloppier group between the two, looking incapable of stringing even two consecutive passes together. Offensively, it was one of the worst performances of the year, and that’s saying something. The Hawks recorded a measly 16 shots on goal and were credited with only seven high-danger scoring chances.
As a team, they racked up a whopping 23 giveaways. Their lone goal of the night came in the opening minutes from Ryan Greene, giving his team an early 1-0 lead with a shorthanded tally. But after that point, the offense couldn’t get anything going, even when star forward Connor Bedard was on the ice.
For just the fourth time this season, Bedard failed to record a single shot on goal. He had only two shot attempts in 22:31 of ice time. Between Bedard, Frank Nazar, Nick Lardis, and Tyler Bertuzzi, the four players combined for two shots on goal and six giveaways on Monday.
None of the four made a positive impact, with poor puck management and decision making leading to limited offensive-zone time from the team’s most dangerous players. It also didn’t help that the Blackhawks power play was putrid against the Sabres, as they failed to convert on any of their five opportunities, including a 5-on-3 where they had over one minute to work with. That chance occurred early in the third period, when the deficit was still only one.
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